[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 108 (Friday, September 2, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H7630-H7631]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HURRICANE KATRINA SUPPLEMENTAL RELIEF

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Zoe Lofgren) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people 
of San Jose, California, I extend our deepest condolences to the 
thousands who have lost family and friends, and to those who are still 
searching for loved ones. As the chairperson of the California 
Democratic Congressional Delegation, I want to let the people suffering 
today know that we care and that we Californians stand with them.

[[Page H7631]]

  The people of California have also faced natural disasters in the 
form of earthquakes, floods, and fires. I recall the Loma Prieta 
Earthquake on October 17, 1989, that measured 7.1 on the Richter scale. 
Sixteen years have passed, but everyone who lives in the bay area 
remembers where they were when the earthquake struck. Americans 
everywhere stood with Californians, and this gave us the strength we 
needed to recover, rebound and rebuild.
  As difficult as that earthquake was for us in California, the 
situation in the Gulf Coast is infinitely more challenging. Homes 
across the Gulf Coast are gone. People are left with nothing but the 
clothes on their back. Biloxi, Gulfport, Pass Christian, Bay St. Louis, 
Waveland, Kiln, Slidell, and other towns barely exist.
  Our Nation has never had a city in the desperate shape that New 
Orleans finds itself in right now. The rule of law has broken down. 
People at the Superdome and the Convention Center are suffering in ways 
that are just not seen in our country in the 21st century. Mayor Nagin 
has said that thousands may be dead in New Orleans. This is an 
unprecedented human tragedy.
  As a Nation, we must be steadfast and commit ourselves to save these 
people. We must stand with all of the people of the Gulf Coast and let 
them know that we are here today to help them get back on their feet. 
We are here to lend them a shoulder to lean on. We will be with you as 
long as it takes to get your lives in order, as long as it takes to get 
our cities back.
  The people of the Gulf Coast have experienced hell on earth over the 
past week. They will face challenges in the coming days, weeks and 
months that are almost unimaginable. People are hungry, sick, homeless, 
and desperate. The storm has hit everyone hard and it has hit the poor 
hardest of all. The Federal response to this disaster has been too 
little and too slow. The situation must change and it must change right 
now.
  Last night I flew across our great country to be here today to 
participate in this emergency session of Congress. It is important that 
the necessary resources be provided for this disaster, but actual 
leadership by the administration is desperately needed right now. There 
are dead bodies floating in New Orleans as we speak. There are tens of 
thousands of our fellow Americans who have been without the help that 
they need for this entire week.
  I do not believe that our Federal Government is incapable of 
mobilizing to meet this disaster. The problem is that we have not yet 
done so as comprehensively as is necessary. Even the President stated 
today that the response of his administration has been inadequate.
  There will be plenty of opportunity in the months to come to analyze 
what we could have done better, but today our task is simply to do 
better, to engage in a massive mobilization to save the lives of our 
fellow citizens and to end the chaos that has descended upon New 
Orleans and other areas devastated by this hurricane.
  Our Nation stands united with the victims of this ruthless storm. Our 
fellow citizens from Mobile, Alabama, to New Orleans, Louisiana, need 
to know that they have our commitment to do all that we can. The bill 
we passed today is just a start. We will recover. We will rebuild. We 
will prevail.
  In the days and weeks to come, the Congress will have many tasks 
before it, from fully funding the Army Corps' efforts, to revising the 
bankruptcy laws so the victims who have lost their homes can have a 
fresh start. But today, we call on you, Mr. President. Article 2, 
section 1, the executive power shall be vested in a President of the 
United States. We expect that the resources, the food, the water, the 
health care, the evacuation, the shelter will be brought to bear so our 
fellow citizens can end their suffering.

                          ____________________